True Benefits from Drinking Green Tea
Green tea, also known as Camellia sinensis, is native to China and other Asian countries but is popular worldwide. According to herbalsafety.utep.edu, tea is the second most consumed beverage next to water. Many people believe that there are health benefits to drinking tea, and scientific studies prove most of them to be true.
Cancer Prevention
Green tea contains catechins that consist of flavonoids, which produce antioxidants. These compounds can help neutralize free radicals, which can initiate certain types of cancers, such as the prostate, ovarian, breast and colon varieties. A study conducted at the University of Parma School of Medicine in Italy found that after a year of taking green tea catechins (GTC), only one individual in a group of 32 who were at higher risk of prostate cancer actually developed the disease.
Elixir for Severe Sepsis
EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is a major component of green tea, is an elixir for severe sepsis. Severe sepsis is a serious abnormal immune system response to a bacterial infection, which can be deadly. Approximately 225,000 Americans die of severe sepsis every year. In a laboratory study, Haichao Wang, Ph.D. of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and his colleagues found that EGCG rescued mice from lethal sepsis. Dr. Wang’s group gave EGCG to mice with severe sepsis. The dose is equivalent to 10 cups in a human. Mice given EGCG showed 82 percent survival rate, while only 53 percent of those that did not receive the green tea substance survived.
Inflammatory Bladder Disease Treatment
Bladder disease affects both men and women. Roughly 10 million American adults have problems with their bladders, which include incontinence or interstitial cystitis, a chronic inflammation. A person who has bladder inflammation has recurrent, urgent and painful urination as well as pelvic discomfort.
According to a study conducted by Michael B. Chancellor, M.D., professor of urology and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, catechins found in green tea protected both normal and cancerous bladder cells from inflammation after exposing the cells to hydrogen peroxide. These results indicate herbal supplements from green tea could be an option for treating patients with various bladder conditions.
Weight Loss
According to a study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea extract can cause a significant increase in metabolism by four percent within a 24-hour period. This result is due to the effects of high concentration of catechin polyphenols found in green tea. During the same study, the levels of fat oxidation and thermogenesis had increased. An increase in metabolism means more calories burned, which can lead to weight loss.
In a scientific research performed at the University of Chicago, rats lost up to 21 percent of their body weight after receiving injections of green tea extracts. The green tea extracts suppressed the rats’ appetites, leading to a consumption of up to 60 percent less food after seven days of daily injections.
